Royal Romance, A (ATOM Study Guide)

In 1954, a young Queen Elizabeth captured the heart of a nation and since then, despite some rocky moments, the romance has endured for many Australians. Whether they voted to remain part of the Commonwealth or to become a republic at the 1999 referendum, it seems most Australians do like their Queen.

A Royal Romance explores our unique relationship to Queen Elizabeth via interviews with three former Australian prime ministers (republican and monarchist), ordinary Australians who cheered her on the streets of their cities and towns and people from the Queen's household. A Royal Romance features some exceptional Australian icons: Germaine Greer shows how well she can curtsy, Rolf Harris plays 'Waltzing Matilda' as he did on the streets of London during Elizabeth's coronation, and former republican prime minister Paul Keating reveals his fond admiration for a monarch he wanted to sack.

Through the prism of Elizabeth's fifteen royal tours, Australia's changing attitudes to the monarchy are unfurled. Long ago we abandoned singing 'God Save the Queen' and began to question the relevance of the monarchy to our daily lives, but many Australians – perhaps even a majority – find it hard to let go of a head of state who wears a crown half a world away.

It's not all royal nostalgia, though. A Royal Romance delves into the emotional flashpoints – the Whitlam dismissal by the governor-general in 1975, where the fires for constitutional change were lit, the failed 1999 republican referendum and the impact of royal marriage scandals and then asks: what will happen after Elizabeth? Will the ascension of her son, Prince Charles, to the throne coincide with the end of the monarchy's constitutional presence in Australia?

Rich archive footage covering almost fifty years of royal tours to Australia, stylish re-enactments and compelling interviews (which are not without their humorous and revealing moments) combine to tell a charming but curious story about a nation that has come of age and at the same time watched and admired the unfolding of the life of a queen.

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A Royal Romance is suitable for middle and senior secondary students of Australian History and Society.